Amidst a sea of not-so-good romantic xianxias and period dramas, “Mysterious Lotus Casebook '' is a breath of fresh air. Despite being a romance junkie, the brotherhood between our three main characters reminded me that I don’t always need romance in a drama. This drama has excellent casting, acting, pacing, storytelling with interesting mysterious cases and some pretty good action scenes.


Casting/Acting
Isn’t it nice to cast actors who play characters their age and act their age? In the drama, Li Lian Hua and Di Fei Sheng are both in their early 30s, and they are played by Cheng Yi (33) and Xiao Shu Yao (35). Joseph Zeng (25) plays a younger Fan Duo Bing who is in his 20s. Just because of this, the drama gets a big thumbs up from me. The three male leads act their age and exudes the necessary aura of either someone wise or inexperienced. They are really well-casted and I can’t imagine other actors playing these roles. I have to say I am very impressed with Chen Yi. We have all seen him spitting blood (he does that in this drama as well) and playing the angsty romantic male lead. Who knew he could play a sly and sarcastic fallen hero so well! Xiao Shun Yao’s tall frame and broad shoulders exude that cold brutalness and reminded me a little of his gray character in “The Blue Whispers”. Joseph Zeng’s big eyes brought out the youthfulness and inexperience of Fang Duo Bing. “Mysterious Lotus Casebook” has a large supporting cast of veterans and younger actors. No one stands out like a sore thumb and no character irritates or annoys me. I quite like the female villain and found her beautiful and manic!

Mysterious Cases
There are several mysterious cases and they all contribute to the bigger plot/mystery of the drama. I like that they are not episodic and are allowed enough time to develop and to be solved. The cases are interesting to me, more so than those in “Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty”. Although I was never anxious enough to be at the edge of my seat, they generally keep me engaged. There are so many details that I can’t really not pay attention. I was dozing off (not the drama’s fault, I was just tired) and had to rewind the scenes as I realized I was missing pieces of information to follow along. I also enjoy the mid-episode graphics and follow along the Lotus Tower to different locations. I realized I didn’t even take that many notes for my reviews while watching, because I was following along.

The Brotherhood
Excellent! It was so much fun seeing how the friendship develops between the three male characters. Their scenes are sprinkled with humor (and not second-hand embarrassment humor), thoughtful/caring conversations and understanding of each other’s words and actions. It is quite beautiful to see how each relationship continues to build throughout the drama - from strangers, idol, enemies to friends, frenemies, and soulmates.

Romance
Don’t watch this drama for romance because you will be sorely disappointed. I am actually fine with the small romantic plot of Li Xiang Yi and his ex-girlfriend, Di Fei Sheng and the obsessed villain, and even the very small one of Fan Duo Bing and the princess. But having Su Xiao Yong’s affection for Li Lian Hua is unnecessary. She has such a small role that it seems like her sole existence is to do household chores, be an interpreter and grandfather’s messenger, and act as a medical assistant to get help from a doctor. There are no lovey-dovey cute scenes and no skinship at all. But you know what, you really don’t need any big romance plot because there’s enough to keep you engaged.

Action Scenes
There are enough action scenes scattered throughout the drama to keep us wuxia fans satiated. I am glad the drama does not skim out on the big fight with the villains in the end. The action scenes are pretty good, but not to the traditional wuxia standards like in “Side Story of Fox Volant”. I wanted more close combat sword fighting scenes, instead of people getting thrown across the room, with a palm push or a sword swing. I want to especially commend Chen Yi. I never realized what a beautiful fighter he is. There are actors who fight hard and have the physique to do so. There are others who fight like they are dancing or not know what to do with a sword. But Chen Yi’s fight scenes are beautiful to watch. He has a skinnier frame and fights like he’s floating in the air (great wire work from him!) yet he doesn’t fight weakly. It’s a very nice combination of elegance and quiet strength.

Production Quality
It’s so great that the three main male leads are dubbing themselves. Though not often, I do think there are some live recordings from Chen Yi. But the supporting cast seems to all be dubbed by voice actors. The production quality is pretty decent. The costumes, sets, props and ornaments all look decent (not exquisite). CGI and music/songs are minimal. I don’t actually remember any songs played. There’s a dance performed by a male dancer/actor during one of the cases, and that performance is unique and beautifully danced.


Overall, I strongly recommend this drama, especially if you enjoy mysterious cases and are fans of the three male leads. I really don’t have any major criticism of the drama. I liked Chen Yi when he was in “Love and Redemption” but I think I became a fan after his role here in “Mysterious Lotus Casebook”.


Completed: 8/13/2023 - Review #339